Phonograph recording machine



Dec. 12, 1933. R. F; MALLINA 1,939,072

PHONOGRAPH. RECORDING MACHINE.

Filed April 1. 1931 v 2 sheet's-sneet 1` /NvEn/ronyv RAMA/ UNA p TTORNE Dec. 12, 1933. AR. F. MALL'INA PHONOGRAPH RECORDING IAGHINE Filed April 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTOR v RFMALL/NA BMM@ l ATTORNEY Panneaux-.12, 1933I -l PA'rim'r y(l-Fics l .PnoNoGRAPn RECORDING MACHINE V Rudolph F. Manin, New York, N. Y., signor to B ell Telephone Laboratories,l

Incorporated.'

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 1,1931. Serial No. '526,907 y claims. (on zit-io) damping system is used vin connection with the driving motor to insure good recording. A machine of this type sometimes gives much better service than is required'and it becomes desirable l5 to simplify and perform manually ,some'of the operations done automatically in order to reduce its cost. 1

It'is'the object ofthis invention to provide a simple continuous recording machine which is' m semifautomatic in operation and adaptable to such applications as-telephone/voice recording.

The machine in its preferred form is comprised of tworecording units mechanically linked to permit an automatic changeover from the operating unit to the idle unit. In carrying out the general idea of simplicity the-automatic opera.- tions are 'reduced to those of engaging therecorders at the proper instants, while the remaining operations, such as changing the records',

are left to be performed by an attendant. Al-

though theinvention herein described resides chieiiyfin the means for effecting the changeover between the units, a less elaborate vibration damp- Y ing system is also described to better-illustrate the' particular form of continuous recorder to which the invention is adapted.

A feature. o! the invention is a lead screw which serves the triple function of driving its cooperating recorder and initiating and terminating the operation of its adjacent recorder.-I

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine wit portions c'ut away to show the changeover mechanism, In this figure recorder, No. 2 is nearing the end of` its track and recorderNo. 1 is about to be lowered onto its record blank;

mechanism showing recorder No. 1 inplaying po- 'sition andvrecorder No. 2 ready to be set down ssinechanismmnd.,

particular to those' .moving the recorders back to theirv initial posi--y tions and starting and stopping the machine,

Fig. 2 is afront elevation of` the' changeover -.3 .is a side elevational the changeover'v Fig. 4 shows more clearly the cam used in the changeovermechanism. 1

In general the 'operation of the machine is as follows;

The turntables are provided with record blanks, gg preferably of the exible type. A flanged support between the record and turntable facilitates their handling. Recorder No. 1 is move'd'to the right to its starting position, the driving means actuated, and recorder No. 2 engaged with its g5 record blank upon which the incoming telephonie signals are then impressed. Just before the record is nished, recorder No.1 is automatically lowered and started so as to provide a small speech overlap which is necessary to insure against loss of any part of the signals. After recorder No.y 1 has been in operation a few seconds, recorder No. 2 is automatically raised. The completed record is removed by the attendant and replaced with a blank. vStopping the turntables in this machine is unnecessary, since the removal of the records can be effected by merely raising the flanged support until it is free of the rotating turntable.' vRecorder No'. 2 is moved over to the right by the attendant to its starting position 30 where it remains until just a few seconds before recorder No. 1 has completed its record. At this v'point it is automatically lowered, and after the shortperiod of overlap has elapsed, recorder No. 1 is` automatically raised, thus completing theY 35 cycle. j l The simple andvnovel means used to perform the automatic operations just described will now be made clear. r

In Fig. 1 recorder No. 2.is 'engaged with its 90 lead screw 10, and, by means of push rod l1, is turningfcam 12 counterclockwise about vits bearing 13. Engaging cam 12 isa follower 14 .rigidly attached to lever 15 which pivots about short end portions 19 and 20, which are simply 100 inclinedplanes, and a relatively long, circular. central portion. The inclined portion 19 is used -to raise the recordeiythe circular portion 12 to maintain it in the raised position, and the third portion 20 to lower it onto the record blank.l The 105 inclination oi the plane is determined by the speedl ,with whichitis desired to raise or lower the recorder, i. e., the greater the speed the steeper the angle. The length of the circular portion is made'suillcient to maintain the recorder in its 110 roller 14 which raises lever 15' together with' recorder No. 2. The attendant then slides the recorder to the -right along its supporting rod 24 until it reaches stop 25' which is set to stop the:

recorder when it is over its'starting position. On sliding the recorder over, cam 12 is also pulled to the right by rod 11. The cam surface passes over the follower until the inclined portion l19,

which is made longer than the lowering portion 20, strikes the follower (Fig. 4). -The elongated portion is hinged at 32 to permit the cams to pass over the follower in one direction, and is n snapped back by means of a spring tocause the follower to ride on the cam in the other direction. After passing over the follower, the cam is ready to again raise itsrecorder at the proper instant. i

To change records the attendant pulls lever 26.-

toward him (against the rotation of the record) which rotates the three armedispider -27' d raises it by means of the cam 28. The spider l ts the flanged disc 29, carrying withV it the completed record 3 0 until the latter is free of locating pin 31. It is thenlremoved and replaced by a blank, after which the. spider is lowered and the flanged disc again rotated by the turntable (Fig. 2). Recorder No.y 2 remains in its raised posi- 4 tion until its supporting cam has been turned sufficiently by recorder No.' 1 to bring the lowering portion in contact with thefollower. vAfter it has been lowered the cycle is repeated as long as is necessary.

The driving means for the machine consists of a motor 33 supported by a spring mounting 34 which is used to absorb some of its vibration. Y. A reduction gear 35 transfers the energy to the mechanical torsional vibration filter 36 from which it is sent to the ropel drive37 and the helical gear lead screw drive 38. Individual flywheels 39, 39 are provided for the turntables to further reduce undesirable fluctuations. The rotation is finally carried up to the turntables through shafts 40 and 40. i

To prevent the entire unbalanced weight of the 4carriage from bearing upon the stylus, an extra Joint is provided for the recorder arm (Fig. 3).

Two stops, 41 and 42, allow thecarriage to be -rality of recording unitsl each comprising a reccam when the 'latter is moving in one direction rotated about its supporting rod`24 by either `the lever 15 or the handle 43 without the necessity of a rigid connection.

What is claimed is: 1. In a continuous recording machine, a pluord blank, a record blank support, a recorder, -a lead screw, driving means for the record blank support ,and leadscrew, means for engaging the A recorderwith the lead screw and a cam surface fox` raising and lowering said recorder vat predetermined stages of the recording, said cam surface at such stages, being linked to and driven by the leadfscrew of the adjacent unit.

2. In a continuous recording device, a plurality V'of record blanks, individual record blank supports and recorders therefor,v individual lead screws for the recorders, driving means for. the lead screws and record blank supports, means operated by a lead screw for maintaining the recorder of the adjacent record blank in inoperative position for a predetermined length of time.

3. In a continuous recording machine, a plurality of recording units comprising. a, recorder, a record blank, driving meanstherefor, a reciprocating cam, a support for the recorder comprising a lever ,having thereon a-roller follower to engage with the cam, 'and means on the cam foi` permitting said follower to engage with the and to disengage the cam when it is moving in the opposite direction.

4. In a continuous .recording machine, aplurality of recording units each comprising a record blank', a support therefor, a carriage and a 110 recorder mounted thereon, a lead screw, means for operatively connecting said carriage with the lead screw comprising a threaded portion integral with said carriage, a cam surface for effecting the connection between the threaded portion and lead screw comprising .a circular'segm'ent between two oppositely inclined surfaces, the motion of the cam being controlled by the adjacent recording carriage through an intermediate member between the cam andcarriage of each unit, and driving means for the record blank support and lead screw of said unit.

5. In a continuous recording device, a pair of `recording units, means in each unit for maintaining its cooperating recorder in readiness for operation and a rigid link connecting the means of one unit to an element in the adjacent unit which element is operated by the said adjacent unit, the means being immediately operable uponv the initiation of a recording on the adjacent unit.

'RuporcPH F. MAILINA.

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